Aston Villa vs West Ham United Prediction: 26/1/2025

Aston Villa welcome West Ham United to Villa Park on Sunday, January 26, 2025, for a 17:30 kick-off in the Premier League. Matchday 23 sees the coming together of two sides at opposite ends of the league standings and in very different recent forms. Aston Villa, sitting 7th with 35 points, are aiming to strengthen their push for European qualification, while West Ham, positioned 13th with 26 points, are looking to bounce back from recent struggles and climb the table.

This fixture really does point to an Aston Villa home win. In such fine form and given their solid record at Villa Park, the Villans look all set to defeat a West Ham that is battling to find consistency.

The Aston Villa season has been all about resilience and really doing well at home. For the record, they are not easily beaten at Villa Park, managing 6 wins, 4 draws, and just 1 loss on their own turf. Currently sitting with 35 points from 21 matches, the consistency of Villa really makes them serious contenders for European spots.

In their last outing, Villa further underlined their competitive edge by holding Arsenal to a 2-2 draw away from home. They are undefeated in the last five matches in all competitions, with 3 wins and 2 draws in that period.

Manager Unai Emery has instilled tactical flexibility and discipline into the team. His ability to change approach depending on opponents’ strengths has been vital to the team’s success. With a goal difference of 31 scored to 32 conceded, Villa’s games are often filled with goals, making this a mouth-watering encounter for fans and punters.

West Ham United: In Pursuit of Stability

West Ham United have had a torrid season so far, lying 13th in the table with 26 points. Their inconsistency is reflected in a mixed away record of 3 wins, 3 draws, and 4 losses. Recent form has been particularly concerning, with 4 defeats and just 1 win in their last five matches across all competitions.

The 2-0 home loss to Crystal Palace in their last outing brought to the fore those defensive vulnerabilities that have haunted the Hammers throughout the season. Their defensive problems are a real headache for manager Graham Potter, having conceded 41 goals in 21 league games.

It now confronts Potter with the task of revitalizing his squad. Indeed, West Ham, who have scored only 27 goals this season, need to sharpen their attack in equal measure to defensive improvement.

Head-to-Head and Recent Form

In their last encounter, Aston Villa beat West Ham 2-1 at Villa Park to underline their dominance over the fixture. Indeed, in the last five encounters between the sides, three have gone the way of Villa, with two finishing all square and West Ham failing to notch a single win.

Villa have been performing solidly of late with 3 wins and 2 draws in the last five games, which shows how consistent they are. At the same time, West Ham have been struggling with just 1 win and 4 losses in the last five games.

Prediction

Given Villa’s good home record, current run of form, and head-to-head dominance, they should be considered as clear favorites for this match. West Ham’s struggles, especially at the back, do not make them likely to stop Villa’s running. However, given that both teams can find the net, the game may see goals from both sides.

Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham United